BY SACNILK

Lucknow, October 27 - Uttar Pradesh is set to get its first-ever drive-in theatre on Diwali. With a capacity of 200 cars, the drive-in theatre in Lucknow's Sarojini Nagar area is expected to draw a big crowd on Diwali. People can watch movies from the comfort of their cars while enjoying food and other amenities.## Lucknow-based commercial pilot and businessman, Nitish Kanda, who started the venture, said, "This will be a new experience not just for the city but for the entire state as this is the first drive-in theatre in Uttar Pradesh. We have installed a digital LED screen with 40 by 20 ft dimensions which also works well in sunlight. For the time being, we will have evening and night shows".## The district administration and the municipal corporation have granted permission for the facility and tickets will be available both online and offline.## "The digital LED screen promises better picture quality over a projector. It also gives a 180-degree equal view from all angles. The sound system will also be tuned to the frequency of the car's FM and audio will be played inside the vehicle, limiting all noise pollution", he added.## The concept is expected to receive much traction during Covid times since the drive-in theatre will help maintain physical distancing with cars in place of other forms of seating arrangements.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, October 12 - The government of Maharasthra recently announced that the cinema halls and theaters would be permitted to operate from October 22, for which, the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) would be released soon. ## And now, on October 11, the wait is over for the Bollywood filmmakers as the government has released the SOPs which have cleared the road for Rohit Shetty's "Sooryavanshi" and other upcoming Bollywood biggies, which are lined up for release. ## As expected, the moviegoers will have to strictly adhere to the covid-19 guidelines such as practice social distancing, wear face masks and use sanitizers inside the theatre. The government has set a 50% occupancy cap in the cinema halls and also asked for stagger show timings so that crowding doesn't take at any point in the theatre.## The SOP has also mentioned that those who are fully vaccinated will have to show their Covid vaccination certificate. Fortunately, if one is partially or non-vaccinated, he/she can still enter the theatre, provided they show the 'safe' status on their Aarogya Setu app.## The staff of the cinema halls has been asked to check the temperature of the viewers and allow only asymptomatic individuals inside. The management of the theatres will have to sanitize the auditorium after every screening and also ensure regular and disinfection. The staff is also required to be fully vaccinated.## The government hasn't mentioned cut-off time for cinemas to operate in the SOPs which means that the night shows have been allowed. The government has also encouraged online booking to avoid crowd at the booking store and food or beverages will not be allowed inside the theaters.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, September 6, 2021: National award-winning filmmaker, Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri has penned down a hard-hitting note to the Bollywood leaders, who remain silent as cinemas are closed in Maharashtra. The Tashkent Files director, in an open letter, urged Bollywood leaders to stand up and ensure that government listens and opens up cinemas. ## Theaters in Maharashtra are closed since April 2021, even though, most of the States have allowed theaters to operate. Vivek Agnihotri, in his letter, highlights the unjustified closure of cinema halls in the biggest movie market for Hindi films. He also mentioned that because of the silence of B-towners and the rise of OTTs, the Hindi film industry is going through an existential crisis. ## The filmmaker note down key points, referring to Bollywood artists and filmmakers, as follows - ## 1. You have earned hundreds of crores from your films which released in theaters.## 2. You have earned hundreds of crores because people paid for your movies.## 3. You are leader because you earned hundreds of crore and have a clout, experience, money and power.## 4. You can not just keep the perks of being a leader/star and keep quiet when there is a crisis. You know Bollywood is also the soft power of India.## 5. You know that Bollywood going through an existential crisis for three reasons: a] Locked theaters b] OTTs, and c] Public anger towards you.## 6. Imagine you are a big corporation and your brand faces the same situation. Will you go in hiding and wait for the situation to improve or you will firefight it?## 7. You haven't done anything except for keeping quiet and let destiny take its course. The general assumption in the industry is that people are dumb and they will again fall at the feet of the stars or at the box office as soon as movies release again. You are absolutely wrong and myopic.## 8. This is the real test of your creative integrity. The world is watching whether you are going to fight to save cinema or you'll do it only when your film is stuck.## 9, I hope you realize that because of your inaction, almost all Indian content is slowly being owned by just 3-4 American corporations. Soon, there will be no Indian content. This is how East India Company took over India. I am not saying this will happen but 'something like this is already happening. Just think why you are responsible for this.## 10. You want to be treated like leaders in happy times, celebration times, success times. Now when there is a crisis, you got to stand up and give confidence to millions of workers that you'll lead the fight for their livelihood.## 11. Please speak up and ensure that Government listen and #OpenUpCinemas.## To, Dear Bollywood leaders: …Because extraordinary times need extraordinary vision, courage and leadership…#OpenUpCinemas pic.twitter.com/xDf9lhKNwy— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) September 6, 2021 ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Delhi, August 26, 2021: One of the leading multiplex chains in India, PVR Cinemas has reopened its oldest cinema property, PVR Priya in New Delhi in the luxury format. The iconic single-screen cinema was first launched in 1978 by the PVR chain.## The renovated cinema property was launched on Wednesday (August 25) in the P[XL] format at Vasant Vihar in New Delhi as a part of the compancy's Urban Placements initiative. P[XL] is the multiplex chain's luxury format that is equipped with giant screens, enhanced sound, laser technology, and other advanced in-cinema features.## The urban place-making project at PVR Priya Complex, Vasant Vihar was done in association with local municipal authorities, Basant Lok Market Association, and Urban Planners. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal inaugurated the urban placemaking initiative.## The excitement gets amplified and motivation of excellence goes a notch higher when the iconic cinema, PVR Priya is launched, as a part of Urban Placements initiative, by none other than the Honourable Chief Minister Mr. Arvind Kejriwal! #PVRPriya #arvindkejriwal #PVRCinemas pic.twitter.com/N2UaM2MIn0— P V R C i n e m a s (@_PVRCinemas) August 25, 2021 ## Apart from giving a whole new fresh touch inside the cinema hall, the company has also renovated the public place outside the theatre, for which, PVR has spent Rs. 2.5 crores. ## "Consumer has evolved and wants a holistic experience. The consumer doesn't want to walk through a place that is dilapidated and then get into a great experience. So, we looked at this project from the outside in. We usually go for renovation from inside to outside and even for outside it stops at the box office. For PVR Priya, we have looked at the entry point, lighting", Gautam Dutta, CEO, PVR Ltd, told Moneycontrol. ## By getting the first P[XL] format in Delhi at PVR Priya, the multiplex operator has expanded its homegrown large screen format to nine across the country. For this entire project, PVR has invested Rs 10-12 crore. For the technology which is powered by Cinionic, a cinema technology service, PVR has spent Rs 6.5 crore.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, August 21, 2021: Akshay Kumar's big-budget spy thriller, Bell Bottom has been released in theaters worldwide on August 19 and running decently amid some restrictions on cinema halls. The movie was always meant for a theatrical release and despite the risk of covid-19, the makers go ahead with its non-OTT release. ## Bell Bottom is the first big-ticket Bollywood movie during the covid-19. Theaters across India were in dire need of some sort of relief, especially the northeast theaters. While the collection of Bell Bottom has been largely been affected due to the pandemic, Akshay Kumar and producers of the film have earned the respect of cinema chains, who thanked them for bringing the movie to theaters amid the trying times. ## INOX, one of the leading multiplex chains, took to Twitter and lauded Akshay Kumar as a true hero. "#BellBottom has done what no one else dared to do. It has brought in hope and taken a risk despite the very apparent shadow of few cinemas closed and no night shows. #INOXSalutes @akshaykumar, a true hero. It takes a real hero to take a bullet for the entire Indian film industry", the tweet read. ## #BellBottom has done what no one else dared to do. It has brought in hope and taken a risk despite the very apparent shadow of few cinemas closed and no night shows. #INOXSalutes @akshaykumar, a true hero. It takes a real hero to take a bullet for the entire Indian film industry. pic.twitter.com/d9X5Hg6cd6— INOX Leisure Ltd. (@INOXMovies) August 20, 2021 ## PVR Cinemas also express gratitude towards Akshay and producer Vashu Bhagnani for saving thousands of livelihoods and bringing audiences to theaters. ## "Every time the history of Indian cinema is written there must be a mention of those who not just brought us entertainment but ensured our livelihoods were taken care of. Thank you Akshay Sir & Vashuji for bringing people back to their favorite place. #Respect", a tweet of PVR read. ## Every time the history ofIndian cinema is written there must be a mention of those who not just brought us entertainment but ensured our livelihoods were taken care of. Thank you Akshay Sir & Vashuji for bringing people back to their favourite place. #Respect@akshaykumar— P V R C i n e m a s (@_PVRCinemas) August 20, 2021 ## Bell Bottom is directed by Ranjit M Tewari and produced by Pooja Entertainment and Emmay Entertainment. It is inspired by a real-life hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight in 1984 during Indira Gandhi's tenure as PM of India. Akshay Kumar plays a RAW agent in the film who was sent on a secret mission to rescue 210 hostages. The movie also features Vaani Kapoor, Lara Dutta, Huma Qureshi, and Adil Hussain in key roles.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, May 11, 2021: Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has apologized to theater owners who were hoping actor's upcoming film, "Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai" to release in theaters and help them recover their losses due to the covid-19 pandemic. ## Directed by Prabhudheva, the movie will start streaming on multiple platforms, including OTT and DTH services, on May 13 at the festival of Eid. It will also release in theaters whenever they are open in India, though most of the states have shut the cinemas due to the second covid-19 wave. ## "I apologize to cinema owners who were hoping to earn profits with the release of this film. We waited as long as we could, hoping that this pandemic would end and we would be able to release in theatres all over the country. But that did not happen. We don't know when things will go back to normal", Salman Khan told reporters in a roundtable interview from Mumbai. ## "I couldn't have kept my Eid commitment with fans without the support of ZEE. It was important to release the film at a time like this because people are suffering due to the pandemic. Incomes have reduced for many, so now, instead of spending a lot of money on tickets at the cinemas, people can watch it at a much cheaper rate at home. I want to provide some entertainment to people at a grim time like this", Salman said. ## However, the actor again expressed his desire to release the film in theaters when things subside and it is 'safe' for people to visit cinema halls. ## "I know people are disappointed that they will not be able to watch Radhe on the big screen. Some people have booked auditoriums and are planning to screen my film, which I won't encourage because I don't want people to say 'Salman Khan ki picture dekhne gaye aur corona phail gaya'. Once everything is safe, we will release the film again in the theatres. We hope the film does well then too", the actor said.## Radhe is said to have a remake of the 2017 Korean film The Outlaws. The film stars Salman Khan, Disha Patani, Randeep Hooda, Jackie Shroff in the key roles along with Arjun Kanungo, Gautam Gulati, Megha Akash, Govind Namdev, and others in supporting roles. ## It is produced by Salman Khan, Sohail Khan, Atul Agnihotri, and Nikhil Namit under the banners of Salman Khan Films, Sohail Khan Productions, and Reel Life Production Private Limited while Zee is the distributor partner of the film. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Los Angeles, May 3, 2021: As the covid-19 pandemic is slowing down in North America, the theaters in the USA have started to reopen after more than a year. Among them, Los Angeles' "New Beverly Cinema", which is owned and operated by filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, is also set to see the light again.## In a post shared on its social media channels and website Saturday, the historic revival theater (located on 7165 Beverly Blvd.) announced plans to reopen on June 1. No further details were provided, but the theater teased that more information would be coming soon as it loves showing movies. ## More info coming soon... pic.twitter.com/cOxmctmwSO— New Beverly Cinema (@newbeverly) May 1, 2021 ## Built in 1929 as a first-run movie house, the late Sherman Torgan bought the theater in 1978, offering double feature pairings of classic, foreign, independent, and arthouse cinema. After the unexpected passing of the family patriarch and the operator of the theater in 2007, Tarantino eventually bought the building to save the property from the redevelopment.## Last March, New Beverly Cinema announced that they would be closed until further notice amid the covid-19 pandemic. And now, the news of the reopening of New Beverly Cinema comes almost two months after the reopening of theaters at reduced capacity was allowed amid vaccine roll out and lowered COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Actress Aditi Rao Hydari, who is currently seen in the Netflix movie Ajeeb Daastaans, said that she does miss going out to theaters, despite the OTT platforms are doing good to entertain people. She said there is a sense of "magic" in theatres, which has always been there and will never go away.## "I miss it because there's the magic associated with the theatre, there's a whole childhood nostalgia, and it's a very immersive experience. You go there and you become a part of the world there", Aditi told IANS.## However, due to the lockdown last year, the OTT platforms witnessed an exponential rise in terms of new content and subscribers, and Aditi is not wrong when she says that OTTs have been the actor's best friend in many ways. ## "In the lockdown, OTT platforms have been our best friends. With OTT, there has been amazing writing, content, and the way the audience has consumed the content, that's been really incredible. As an actor, there is so much more to do on it, in fact, for directors, writers, and everyone in the industry it has opened a whole new world", she said.## With the rise of OTTs, Aditi feels that there will be a time when both, OTTs and theaters will be at the same level as each platform is powerful in its own way. ## "For writers, directors, actors, it has opened up a new world in terms of stories that one can only make for OTT which is different from (what) one makes for the theatres. Quite often, the theatrical films are larger-than-life and mounted differently. A producer might tell it better, how it is structured. OTT is different because the pressure is different", she says.## On the work front, Aditi will next be seen in the Tamil film "Hey Sinamika", which also stars Dulquer Salmaan, and Kajal Aggarwal, and Tamil-Telugu bilingual movie "Maha Samudram", co-starring Sharwanand, Siddharth, and Anu Emmanuel. While the release date of "Hey Sinamika" is yet to be decided, "Maha Samudram" will release on 19 August 2021. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Filmmaker Nitya Mehra made her debut as a director with the 2016 Bollywood feature film 'Baar Baar Dekho', starring Sidharth Malhotra and Katrina Kaif. Despite the decent buzz, the film fared below expectations at the box office. Mehra then focussed on the OTT space and struck gold with the popular show Made In Heaven. She also directed one of the stories of the anthology film Unpaused which premiered on Amazon Prime Video last year. ## Mehra, who hopes to return to the big screen next year, is unmoved by the rise of OTT platforms and said that digital platforms should be accepted as a natural progression. She also feels that theaters are not going anywhere as people need a collective experience which mobile phones can't provide .## "When television came, people on the radio were worried. As we evolve, there will always be new things that come out and they may give a run for the money as they say. OTT platforms have given theatres a run for the money but I think each one of these formats finds its own space. There are enough human beings on this planet to consume it all", Mehra tells according to TOI. ## "The audience is becoming accustomed to viewing things on their phones, tablets, and laptops, but I do feel that theatres will survive. Human beings by nature require a collective experience. I am personally dying to go to the theatre because of the feeling of going to the theatre and consuming a piece of entertainment with other people who you perhaps don't know, and yet (there is) the collective laughter and tears, which is an experience in itself".## "Your phones are never going to give you that. I do feel that human nature will prevail because at the end of the day we all need collective experience", she added.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

The Ministry Of Information & Broadcasting, on Saturday (January 30), has allowed cinemas/theaters to operate with full occupancy. With coronavirus is slowly weakening and vaccination has also started, the I&B Ministry said that cinema halls and theatres will be permitted to operate with 100% seating capacity, for which the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has issued a revised SOP. ## However, States and Union Territories will have a final decision to consider proposing the additional measures as per their field assessment. ## Earlier, cinemas were operating with just 50% seating capacity which was effective since cinemas being allowed to reopen in October 2020. Recently, the Tamil Nadu government had allowed 100% occupancy in theaters, however, after the center's objection, the state government had withdrawn its order. ## pic.twitter.com/bp34FQ8KTu— Sacnilk Entertainment (@SacnilkEntmt) January 30, 2021 ## SOPs for cinema halls and theatres on preventive measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 ## 1. Background## The Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India has permitted the opening of cinema halls and theatres vide their order No. 40-3/2020-DM-I(A) dated 27th January 2021. ## 2. Scope ## 2.1 This document outlines the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in terms of various generic precautionary measures to be adopted in addition to specific measures to be ensured in cinema halls and theatres to prevent the spread of COVID-19. ## 2.2 No Exhibition of Film shall be allowed in containment zones. ## 2.3 Further, States/UTs may consider proposing additional measures as per their field assessment. ## 3. SOPs related to cinema halls and theatres ## 3.1 General Guidelines ## The generic measures include public health measures that are to be followed to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19. These measures need to be observed by all (workers and visitors) at all times. ## These include: ## i. The adequate physical distancing of at least 6 feet to be followed outside the auditoriums, common areas, and waiting areas at all times. ## ii. Use of face covers/masks to be made mandatory at all times. ## iii. Availability of hand sanitizers, preferably in the touch-free mode, at entry and exit points as well as common areas within the premises. ## iv. Respiratory etiquettes to be strictly followed. This involves the strict practice of covering one's mouth and nose while coughing/sneezing with a tissue/handkerchief/flexed elbow and disposing off used tissues properly. ## v. Self-monitoring of health by all and reporting any illness at the earliest to state and district helpline. ## vi. Spitting shall be strictly prohibited. ## vii. Installation & use of the Aarogya Setu App shall be advised to all. ## 3.2 Entry & Exit points ## a. Thermal screening of visitors/staff is to be carried out at entry points. Only asymptomatic individuals shall be allowed to enter the premises. ## b. Provisions for hand sanitization should be made available at all entry points and in work areas. ## c. Designated queue markers shall be made available for entry and exit of the audience from the auditorium and the premises. ## d. The Exit should be done in a staggered row-wise manner to avoid crowding. ## e. Sufficient time interval between successive screenings on a single screen as well as on various screens in a multiplex shall be provided to ensure row-wise staggered entry and exit of the audience. ## 3.3 Seating Arrangements ## Seating arrangement inside the auditorium of the cinemas/theatres/multiplexes is to be allowed upto 100% seating capacity. ## 3.4 Physical Distancing Norms ## a. Proper crowd management in the parking lots and outside the premises, duly following physical distancing norms shall be ensured. ## b. Number of people in the elevators shall be restricted, duly maintaining physical distancing norms. ## c. Efforts shall be made to avoid overcrowding in the common areas, lobbies, and washrooms during the intermission. The audience may be encouraged to avoid movement during the intermission. Longer intermissions may be used to allow the audience seated in different rows of the auditorium to move in a staggered manner. ## 3.5 Staggered Show Timings at Multiplexes ## a. Staggered show timings shall be followed for multiple screens to avoid crowding. ## b. The show commencement time, intermission period and finish time of a show at any screen shall not overlap with the commencement time, intermission period, or finish time of a show at any other screen in a multiplex. ## 3.6 Booking and Payments ## a. Digital no-contact transactions should be the most preferred mode for issue/verification/payments for tickets, food, and beverages, etc. by using online bookings, use of e-wallets, QR code scanners, etc. ## b. Contact number shall be taken at the time of booking of tickets to facilitate contact tracing. ## c. The purchase of tickets at the box office shall be open throughout the day and advance booking shall be allowed to avoid crowding at the sale counters. ## d. Sufficient number of counters at the box office shall be opened with adequate physical distancing norms, to prevent crowding during physical booking of tickets. ## e. Floor markers shall be used for physical distancing during queue management at the box office. ## 3.7 Sanitization of the Premises ## a. Frequent sanitization of the entire premises, common facilities, and all points which come into human contact, e.g. handles, railings, etc. shall be ensured. ## b. The cinemas/theatres/multiplexes auditorium shall be sanitized after every screening. ## c. Regular cleaning and disinfection of the box office, food and beverage areas, employee and staff lockers, toilets, public areas, and back office areas shall be ensured. ## d. Measures for the safety of sanitization staff such as adequate provisions for rational use of gloves, boots, masks, PPE, etc. shall be undertaken. ## e. Disinfection of the premises to be taken up if any person is found positive. ## 3.8 Staff Related Measures ## a. Wearing of face cover for staff is mandatory at all workplaces and adequate stock of such face covers should be made available. ## b. All employees who are at higher risk, i.e., older employees, pregnant employees, employees who have underlying medical conditions, to take extra precautions. They should preferably not be exposed to any front-line work requiring direct contact with the public. ## c. With a view to ensure safety at the workplace, employers on the best effort basis should ensure that Aarogya Setu is installed and updated by all employees on their mobile phones. ## d. Communication and training of the staff on precautions related to COVID-19, respiratory hygiene, hand hygiene, etc. shall be carried out. ## e. Self-monitoring of health by all employees/staff and reporting any illness at the earliest shall be ensured. ## 3.9 Public Awareness ## a. Do's and Don'ts shall be communicated at prominent access points: Online sale points, digital tickets, public areas like lobbies, washrooms, etc. ## b. Public Service Announcements on wearing a mask, observing physical distancing, and maintaining hand hygiene as well as specific announcements on the precautions and measures to be followed within and outside the premises shall be made before the screening, during intermission, and at the end of the screening. ## c. Provisions must be made for the display of Posters/standees/AV media on preventive measures about COVID-19 prominently outside and inside of the venues. ## 3.10 Air-Conditioning/Cooling ## For air-conditioning/ventilation, the guidelines of CPWD shall be followed which, inter alia, emphasizes the following: ## a. Temperature Setting of all air conditioning devices should be in the range of 24-30°C. ## b. Relative humidity should be in the range of 40-70%. ## C. Re-circulation of air to be avoided to the extent possible. ## d. Intake of fresh air should be as much as possible. ## e. Cross ventilation should be adequate. ## 3.11 Anti-stigma Behaviour ## COVID-19 related stigmatization or unruly behaviour shall be dealt with strictly by coordination between the auditorium manager(s) and the local authorities. ## 3.12 Food and Beverage Area ## a. Show timings in the cinema halls to be staggered to ensure that intervals of different shows do not occur simultaneously. ## b. Customers shall be encouraged to use cinema apps/QR codes, etc. for ordering food as much as possible. ## c. Multiple sale counters in the food and beverage area are made available wherever possible. ## d. One line systems to be followed using floor stickers to maintain physical distancing at every sale counter. ## e. Management shall ensure observance of physical distancing and preventing crowds in the food and beverages area. ## f. Safe disposal of the food and beverage waste shall be ensured by the management of the premises. ## 4. The National Directives for COVID-19 Management and the relevant guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, state governments, etc. shall be strictly complied with during all activities and operations. ## The latest development is surely a welcome move by the government. Due to 50% occupancy, the filmmakers of the big-budgeted movies were hesitating to release their films in theaters. Post lockdown lifted, Thalapthy Vijay's Tamil movie, Master was the first major movie to release in cinemas. And despite, many odds against it, the movie has done remarkably well to bring the audiences back to cinemas. It proved to be a big blockbuster and is near INR 150 crores mark in India. ## Some of the big-budgeted movies such as Sooryavanshi, Bell Bottom, 83, among others have been put on hold until things get normal. The new development might inspire them to get a release and give the theatrical business a much-needed boost. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has permitted 100% seating capacity in cinema halls/ theaters during the week-long Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF), which was inaugurated on Friday (January 8). Currently, theaters in West Bengal and other states are operating with 50% occupancy in a view to the covid-19 pandemic. ## "At present, because of the pandemic, only 50% occupancy in cinema halls is allowed. I would ask the state’s chief secretary to come up with a notification today so that 100% seats can be occupied", Banerjee said while addressing the inauguration of the 26th edition of the KIFF. ## "I would urge cinema hall owners to ensure that people wear face masks and use hand sanitizers. Sanitization should be done after every show. Every audience should carry their own sanitizer or tissue paper. Nowadays you also get machines with which you can sanitize the entire hall in just five minutes", she added.## Meanwhile, on the other hand, the Tamil Nadu government which had issued a similar order to increase the occupancy in cinemas, theatres, and multiplexes to 100% capacity on January 4, has withdrawn its decision after centre's objection. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) objected TN government's order to increase occupancy and asked the state government to revoke its order saying it diluted the guidelines issued by the MHA. ## However, the TN government has allowed theaters to screen extra shows. In October 2020, the Union Ministry had allowed theatres to operate at 50% occupancy and the same has been extended till January 31, 2021.## The announcement from the Tamil Nadu government to increase occupancy in cinema halls came a week after actor Vijay and the team of the upcoming film Master met with the TN Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami. Reportedly, during the meeting, they requested to allow 100 % seating capacity in theatres ahead of the release of their film. Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, Master will be released on January 13.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

The Kerala film chamber has decided that it will not open theatres in the state even though the government has granted permission to open theatres from January 5 with 50 percent capacity by following the strict Covid-19 protocols and periodically sanitize the theatres.## The film chamber has said that it will not be in a position to open the theatres without any proper decision on entertainment tax by the government. The chamber and the theatre owners demand that entertainment tax must not be collected by the government to which there was no proper communication from the state government.## The office-bearers of the theatre owners' association said that opening theatres with 50% capacity and paying entertainment tax is not a feasible option. The government has also fixed the timing for screening movies from 9 am to 9 pm, which is not acceptable to the theatre owners as they feel that late-night shows draw maximum customers.## Siyad Kokkar, a senior producer and former President of the film chamber, told IANS (as quoted by India TV) over the phone, "I don't know how we can maintain the theatres without the government foregoing the entertainment tax and not allowing them to operate in full capacity. We are under tremendous tension as theatres have remained shut in the state since March 2020 while the overheads have almost remained the same".## Stay tuned...